An electrical mishap at the 220 kV Havana Substation triggered widespread power outages across several municipalities in central Havana, as well as in the regions of Artemisa and Mayabeque this past Friday.
State media journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso reported the incident on his Facebook profile, noting that it took place at 11:27 AM. The unfortunate event injured a member of the work crew.
The injured worker was promptly transported to an emergency medical facility. So far, there has been no update regarding his medical condition.
The accident appears to have caused the electrical service disruptions that affected numerous customers in the capital and its neighboring provinces. Authorities have stated that efforts to restore power are currently underway.
Impact of Automatic Frequency Discharge
Just minutes earlier, the same journalist had mentioned that several substations experienced issues due to an Automatic Frequency Discharge (AFD). Among these were the Plaza, Príncipe, Tropical, and Rincón de Boyeros substations.
The resulting outages left areas in the following municipalities without power:
- Boyeros
- Playa
- Marianao
- Plaza de la Revolución
- Cerro
- Centro Habana
Lázaro Guerra Hernández, General Director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, indicated that the primary fault might have originated at the CUJAE substation.
At 9:59 AM, the National Electric Union (UNE) reported that Unit 1 at the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Power Plant was taken offline due to an emergency caused by a speed regulator malfunction. This incident led to the activation of the AFD, impacting an additional 44 MW, which are currently in the process of being restored.
Technicians from the national electro-energy system are actively working to identify and rectify the faults to restore service as quickly as possible.
This incident once again highlights the vulnerability of Cuba's electrical grid, which has experienced numerous outages and technical failures in recent months, consistently impacting the population.
Understanding the Electrical System Issues in Cuba
What caused the power outage in Havana and nearby regions?
The power outage was caused by an electrical accident at the 220 kV Havana Substation, which led to disruptions in the service across Havana, Artemisa, and Mayabeque.
How did the Automatic Frequency Discharge affect the substations?
The Automatic Frequency Discharge affected several substations, including Plaza, Príncipe, Tropical, and Rincón de Boyeros, resulting in power outages in multiple municipalities.
What is being done to restore power?
Technicians are working to locate and fix the faults in the system to restore power as swiftly as possible.